The Christian Year in Biblical Perspective
February 5, 2012
Fifth Sunday After Epiphany (Year B)
Liturgical Color: Green
Isaiah 40:21-31
This passage from Isaiah has been popularized over the past twenty five years or so by the academy award winning movie Chariots of Fire, a wonderful recounting of the triumphant athletic prowess of Eric Liddell and Sir Harold Abrahams at the turn of the twentieth century. As Olympic Champions for the United Kingdom in track and field their medal winning performances stirred the imagination of an entire generation of athletes. Liddell, the son of Christian missionaries serving in China, and Abrahams of Jewish ancestry, were driven by different reasons in their quest for excellence. Abrahams who experienced the pain of religious and ethnic discrimination despite the wealth of his family focused on proving to others he could overcome any obstacle by sheer force of his own will. By contrast, Liddell attributed his success to the hand of God and seldom took credit for his accomplishments. Liddell often quoted this text to honor the God he believed was as the source of his accomplishments. Abrahams and Liddell were similar in that they both possessed a determined focus to remain true to their calling. As Christians we could learn much from this story and the inspiration the text from Isaiah has stirred throughout history.
Question for Reflection: How might we find ways to transcend our physical limitations when seeking to serve God?
Psalm 147:1-11, 20
The words of the Psalmist seem to echo the heroic hopes found in the reading from Isaiah. There is a bit of a different view in them in that the fear of the Lord is mentioned specifically. And that fear is linked to the delight God takes in being the champion of the downtrodden and the oppressed. How different that is to the expectations we find in contemporary society where weakness is viewed as the greatest liability of all.
Question for Reflection: How has finding strength through weakness been ignored in our telling of the Good News?
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
The reading from Corinthians addresses a common concern that all must face who share the Good News. Does the message change or does the messenger? Realistically the person sharing the Gospel changes the approach. The Good News does not change. The perceptions of the listener must also be considered. Sharing the Good News is a balancing act when all of the factors are taken into account. Paul deftly frames a timeless approach; one that requires patience, sensitivity, and wisdom.
Question for Reflection: Can we be all things to all people when sharing the Good News?
Mark 1:29-39
The reading from Gospel, written in the crisp narrative style so typical of the Markan account, reminds the reader that Jesus’ mission is quite straightforward. Christ came to share the message of the Good News. Perhaps he is alluding to the things that can distract from that task when comparisons are made to the beginning and ending sections of this text. Either way, we should always consider the primary focus of the church, to boldly spread the Gospel.
Question for Reflection: What distractions keep us from sharing the Good News in our communities of faith?
Rev.
Dr. Milton C. WestColumbus, Georgia